The Ugly Americans

The Ugly American is a film made in 1963 based on a book published in 1959. The film starred Marlon Brando, seen in the poster above sporting a tiny mustache. (I've never known why such mustaches were allowed and, it seems, popular).

It was set in a fictional country in Southeast Asia, rather obviously intended to represent South Vietnam.  There God's Favorite Country was engaged in a struggle with the Commies for the territory and the hearts and minds of its people, assuming they were judged to have them.

The Americans were portrayed in both book and film as isolated, privileged, ignorant and unconcerned with the people.  This was, as far as they were concerned, purely a matter of money and power. The Commies made a point of helping the people with food, infrastructure and weapons and would fight with them when needed. Not surprisingly the people eventually turned away from our Great Republic. 

The "ugly" American in the book/film was a plain, unassuming, common sort of fellow. He was a civil engineer who actually tried to know and  help the people of the nation. As may be expected the ugly American wasn't in fact the engineer, but the glittering, ignorant, arrogant movers and shakers who looked down on him and those he tried to help. 

Which brings me at last to the subject matter of this post.

The word "ugly" has more than one definition. The one I have in mind is "Repulsive or offensive; objectionable." Some of those making up the freak show which is our nation's cabinet and higher levels of government are undoubtedly ugly in the more common sense.  But to note that is merely unkind. Of more concern are their repulsive, cruel and what is more self-righteous actions.

We start with the extraordinary claim that making weak nations kowtow to ours is somehow a sign of our nation's greatness.  This is how a weak person thinks.  U.S. Grant considered the U.S. war against Mexico a contemptable crime. Who knows what the current occupant will do in his quest to triumph over the small and helpless. He will expect homage for these "triumphs."

Then there is the malicious, petty action ending protection needed by public sevants with whom he did n't agree.  And the conditioning of federal aid to those desperately in need of it because of natural disasters on state and local government doing what he says.

These are only a few of the caperings of the ugly who rule us now. I was inclined to note the frivolous attempt to overturn the 14th Amendment regarding citizenship, but after all the Supreme Court has it shares of uglies too; their brown noses are becoming darker than their judicial robes.